


Lost

by SpiderMansUnfriendlyNeighbor



Series: On Second Thought [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Child Abuse, Child Luke Skywalker, Gen, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Human Lightning Rod Anakin Skywalker, Hurt Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker Needs A Hug, Medical Experimentation, Not Anakin's Fault, Slavery, Torture, Whump, but it happens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:53:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29001006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiderMansUnfriendlyNeighbor/pseuds/SpiderMansUnfriendlyNeighbor
Summary: The Skywalker family is going on a much-needed vacation to Naboo when a targeted assassination attempt leaves them scattered across the Outer Rim. Anakin and his young son Luke crash-land on a snowy planet and struggle to survive and return to their family.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Siri Tachi, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Series: On Second Thought [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1744039
Comments: 40
Kudos: 70





	1. Crashing

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know, this isn't the Power of Speech. I've been working on this fic for a while though, and decided to start posting it now.

Anakin sat down in the pilot’s chair of Padmé’s royal starship. “Everybody strapped in back there?”

“Yes, Daddy!” the twins chorused in sync.

“We’re all strapped in back here—oof,” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin glanced back. Obi-Wan and Siri were sitting next to each other, Obi-Wan struggling to contain a wiggling Ben standing in his lap and digging his fingers into his nostrils. He smiled. Padmé smiled from behind them where she held baby Shmi. Artoo beeped happily. Threepio responded with an, “Oh, my!”

Anakin waited for a few seconds, then raised his voice and hollered, “Ahsoka!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Ahsoka bolted into the cockpit and plopped down into the copilot’s seat. “Sorry I’m late, had trouble getting my bag strapped down.”

Anakin grinned. “You sure you weren’t late saying a long goodbye to your boyfriend?”

Ahsoka blushed. “Mas _ter_.”

“Were you saying goodbye to Uncle Lux?” Luke piped up. “Did you say goodbye to him for me too?”

Ahsoka sank into the seat and growled.

Anakin grinned wider. “Strap in, Snips. We’re heading out.”

As Ahsoka fastened her crash webbing, Anakin pulled the ship out of the hangar and away from Coruscant. The blue sky faded away, glittering stars taking their place. “All right, punch it, ‘Soka.”

Ahsoka reached for the controls. The stars faded away into the blue swirl of hyperspace. They were off for Naboo.

Anakin stretched in his seat and relaxed. Vacation, here they come.

“Give it up, princess. Where’s the Republic base?” Anakin demanded, fighting off a grin.

Leia squirmed under his hold pinning her against the ship floor. “No! I don’t know!”

“Where’s the Republic base?” Anakin tickled Leia in the stomach. She shrieked with laughter and curled around him.

“Daddy, stop!” She was breathless with laughter.

“Oh, sure, I’ll stop,” Anakin paused and grinned. “If you join me on the Dark Side!”

“You leave my sister alone, you—you dirty Sith!” Luke cried from behind him. His small body crashed into his back and his arms wrapped around his neck. “I’ll save you, Leia! I’ll save you from Darth…Darth…”

“Nothing can save you from the wrath of Darth Vader!” Anakin crowed. He grabbed Luke’s arms and lifted him over his head.

Luke wriggled as Anakin set him down in his lap. “Uncle Obi-Wan, help!”

“On my way!” Obi-Wan said.

Two strong arms wrapped around Anakin from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. “Hey!” he cried. “Traitor!”

“Get him!” Obi-Wan cried.

The twins wrenched from his grip and pounced on him. Obi-Wan let go as the momentum bore Anakin to the floor.

Anakin banged his head against the floor. He barely kept back an “Ow.”

Obi-Wan leaned over and pinned Anakin’s shoulders to the floor.

“Hey! No fair!” Anakin said.

“All is fair in love and war, Darth,” Obi-Wan said, grinning.

Anakin scowled up at his brother. Four little hands dug into his stomach, and he was forced to wrench his attention to the two little scamps tickling him. “Hey, stop, sto…o…op!” He couldn’t keep the laughter from his voice.

“Turn back to the Light Side and we’ll stop,” Luke said.

A loud explosion rocked the ship. The lights flickered. Another explosion hit, and the ship slowed. They had dropped out of hyperspace.

Anakin pulled the frozen twins off of him and bolted to the cockpit. “What happened?”

Padmé startled awake from where she had fallen asleep in the pilot’s chair after Ahsoka put Shmi down for a nap for her. “What is it, Ani?”

Anakin leaned over the controls. “There’s been an explosion. Several explosions. In the engine room.”

Another explosion rocked the ship. The lights flickered again.

Anakin glanced at the controls. Lightheadedness briefly spun in his head. “And the escape pods.”

Padmé jumped out of the pilot’s chair. Anakin hurriedly took her place, but it took him only a couple seconds to realize it.

The ship was going down. The controls were too damaged. He probably wouldn’t even be able to crash land it. “Get to the escape pods.”

“I thought you said they were blown up,” Padmé said.

“One’s still okay,” Anakin said. “Get to the escape pods, now!” He glanced out the viewport. A white planet loomed in front of them. “And head for…” He scanned the navicomputer. “Hoth.”

Padmé nodded and ran off. Anakin ran after her, stopping in the play area where Obi-Wan, Siri, and the kids were. “Evacuate the ship! Get to the escape pods!”

Siri scooped Ben off the floor and ran. Obi-Wan ran to Anakin’s side. “What happened?”

Anakin picked up Leia and took off for the escape pods, Obi-Wan hurrying beside him. Padmé must have grabbed Luke when she ran through. “I don’t know. I think the ship was sabotaged. Threepio! Artoo! Get to the escape pods! Now!”

Artoo sped by, squealing. Threepio hurried behind them. “Oh, my. What’s happening?”

“That’s not good,” Obi-Wan said.

“No kidding,” Anakin said. “The ship’s lost. I don’t think it can be landed safely.”

Ahead was the escape pod. Padmé was climbing into it, Artoo right behind her. He activated his jets and got in, then Siri climbed in.

Anakin ran up. Ahsoka was in the back, holding Shmi. Padmé had a bawling Ben in her arms now.

He passed Leia in to Siri. “Where’s Luke?”

“After you,” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin backed up. “No, get in.” His heart pounded.

“But—” Obi-Wan started.

“Now.” Anakin’s voice brooked no argument. He wouldn’t let Obi-Wan be the sacrificial one this time. He could see how crammed they were in the escape pod. There wouldn’t be enough room for all of them. And if anyone had a chance of surviving the ship crash, it was him. “Get in.”

Obi-Wan shrugged and climbed in the escape pod.

“Wait for me!” Threepio ducked under the doorway and stepped into the escape pod. There was not enough room for anyone else.

“Anakin, get in,” Padmé said.

“I can’t,” Anakin said. “There’s not enough room. Is Luke in there with you?”

There was a bit of silence, then a panicked, “No! Anakin, go get him!” from Padmé.

Anakin’s heart wrenched. Another explosion rocked the ship. “There’s not enough time.” And even if there was, there wouldn’t be room for either of them. “I’ll find him and crash land the ship. We will meet up with you, I promise.”

“Anakin, wait!” Obi-Wan started to stand up, but Threepio was blocking him in.

Tears filled Anakin’s eyes. “Goodbye.” He slammed his hands on the controls. The door closed and the pod ejected into space.

Anakin spun. “Luke Naberrie Skywalker! You come here this instant!”

Luke slipped and slid into the room, trailing his baby blanket. “I had to get my blankie!”

Anakin let out an aggravated sigh. He could lecture him after they didn’t die. He scooped Luke up and ran to the cockpit, holding him close.

“What about the escape pods?” Luke asked.

“Not enough room,” Anakin said. “You and I are gonna land the ship.” He sat down in the pilot’s chair.

“Okay.” Luke knelt on his lap and held his blankie close.

Anakin ripped off his Jedi robes and his belt. “I need you to do exactly as I say and no questions or protests, okay?”

“Okay,” Luke said.

Anakin pulled him close. “Put your arms around my neck and don’t let go for anything.”

Luke wrapped his arms around his neck and put his head down on his shoulder.

“Head up,” Anakin said.

Luke’s head popped up.

Anakin shrugged on his robes and his belt, pulling them close around Luke, then strapped themselves in. He reached for the controls. _Oh, please respond._

The controls barely responded. He pushed the ship with everything they had towards the white planet. Fortunately, they were already pretty close.

The ship lurched as the gravity well of Hoth pulled them in. Anakin drew in a shaky breath. Another explosion rocked the ship.

 _Hold together just a little bit longer._ The ship sped through a white atmosphere, gathering speed and heat with every second. Anakin pulled back on the controls. They slowed some, but not enough. Not nearly enough.

Another explosion. The lights flickered out and the controls died.

There was nothing left. They were at the mercy of the Force now.

Anakin wrapped his arms around Luke and ducked his head. “Hold on,” he whispered. He closed his eyes and drew on the Force. Maybe he could slow it down enough…

He sank into the Force, pushing away from the planet. The ship slowed marginally, but not enough. Not enough.

Anakin tightened his arms around Luke. Luke clung tightly to his neck. His breath huffed hot against his skin. He wrapped the Force around his son.

The ship lurched. Metal creaked. Transparisteel shattered, cutting Anakin’s face. Metal slammed against his head. Heat burned him. The seat broke away from the floor and they flew back. Blackness closed in around him.


	2. Wampa Bet We Won't Survive?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin wakes up after his not so great landing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost forgot to post the next chapter. But here it is!
> 
> Oh, by the way, iiiiiit's Groundhog Day!

Someone was screaming. Pain stabbed through Anakin’s head. Heat crackled against his feet. Something heavy pressed against his chest, making it hard to breathe.

“Daddy!”

Anakin groaned and dragged his eyes open. Luke was lying on his chest, pinned to him by a large beam of metal. His cheeks were red and streaked with tears. Snot ran down his face. His fists were curled in Anakin’s tunic.

“Daddy!”

The beam was supported by warped sides of the ship on both sides but was still pressing on them enough to pin them down to the floor of the ship. Or it might have been the wall. Pain stabbed through his left arm. It was probably broken. Flames licked at his boots.

“Luke,” Anakin managed. “You okay?”

“My hand’s bleeding.” Luke showed Anakin a small cut on the back of his right hand that was oozing blood. His lip trembled.

“I’m sorry, buddy. Just hold on and I’ll get us out of here. Then we’ll look at your hand.” Anakin reached out with the Force and grasped the beam. The edges were wedged in tight into the walls, but he wrenched it free and sent it crashing down a foot away from them.

He reached behind him and pushed himself up. The straps of the chair dug into his waist.

“Poodoo.” Anakin collapsed back. He was still stuck in the seat. Hopefully, the release wasn’t jammed. He stabbed the button to release the crash webbing.

The straps sagged. Anakin threw himself up and bolted to his feet. Both of his boots were on fire. He stomped, but the fire didn’t go out. The ship creaked.

There, up ahead. The viewport was completely shattered, and snow was blowing in. Anakin wrapped his right arm around Luke and leaped over the beam. Fire crawled over the floor. He bolted through it, biting his lip at the burning pain. He threw himself out the window and fell into a cold, soft cushion of snow.

His feet sizzled and hissed. Still holding onto Luke, Anakin put his other arm out to push himself up.

Pain stabbed through his arm, and it collapsed under him. He fell face first into the snow.

“Luke,” he said, his voice muffled by the snow.

“Yes?” Luke’s voice was punctuated by sniffs, but he was there.

“Hold on, all right, buddy?”

Two small, shaking arms snaked around his neck.

“That’s better.” Anakin reached out, with his right arm this time, and pushed himself up. He stumbled to his feet and buried them in the snow.

The burning pain finally eased some. He sighed in relief.

“Daddy? Are you hurt?” Luke asked.

“Just a little. I’ll be all right,” Anakin said. He stumbled forward, away from the ship. It wouldn’t be long before it—

An explosion rocked the sky. Snow was sent flying into the air. Flaming debris crashed to the ground in front of him.

Exploded.

Well, there went all his stuff. Including his lightsaber. He’d left it in his cabin before they took off, hoping he wouldn’t need it for vacation.

He snorted. Why did this kind of stuff always happen to him?

“Daddy?”

“Hm?”

“What are we gonna do?”

That…was an incredibly good question.

What did they do now?

“We’re gonna…find some people and hitch a ride home,” Anakin said.

“Okay.” Luke put his head down on Anakin’s chest. “I’m cold.”

“Me too, buddy.” Anakin wrapped his arm around Luke again. “Me too.”

Anakin sighed. His breath swirled out. Snowflakes came down thick around him. Darkness was falling. In this atmosphere, he couldn’t risk staying outside. The temperature could drop too rapidly and they would die of hypothermia. But he had no way of finding shelter. Not in these barely-visible conditions with nothing but the clothes on his back, his four-year-old son, and a baby blanket.

He’d just have to pick a direction and hope he struck gold. He put his head down and plowed forward into the snow.

The pain in Anakin’s arm and feet had faded away. He couldn’t feel either anymore. With every step, his head swam sickeningly. Luke hadn’t spoken in ages.

A roar broke through the constant swirl of the whistling wind. Anakin started and spun around, but he couldn’t see anything but snow.

The roar sounded again. It was behind him now. He spun back around and stumbled forward.

A furry white arm swiped the air right in front of Anakin’s face. He ducked and darted past the furry monster. In this weather, the beast had to be close to its hideout.

A furious roar blasted the air. The ground shook with pounding footsteps. But Anakin ignored it.

The snow died. The air warmed, not much, but enough. It was a cave. An ice cave, but still a cave.

He ran deeper inside, dodging stalactites and stalagmites. He made it fairly deep into the cave, the air getting ever warmer, until he came to the end of a tunnel. And a very angry wampa standing at the end of it.

Anakin spun around. The first wampa was charging at him, fangs bared.

“Uh-oh.” He didn’t even have his lightsaber, and even if he had, he wouldn’t have been able to swing it with a broken arm and Luke in his arms.

Well, he had the Force, and Master Yoda always said it was his greatest ally. If he could take down the Son and Daughter with just the Force, he could take down a few hungry beasts.

He reached for the beasts in the Force. Their small minds were limited, angry, and far too emotional for him to manipulate. He moved down to their weak points.

The throats.

As the two beasts charged him, Anakin constricted the Force around their throats and lifted them in the air. They struggled and tried to roar, but it was only a minute before they collapsed to the ground and their presences disappeared.

Anakin dropped the corpses and sank to the ground, heaving for breath. His vision wavered, and he almost passed out right there, but he couldn’t. They might not make it through the night if he did that.

He heaved both wampa corpses over to the back of the cave with the Force and set himself and Luke partially in between and partially under them. It was unpleasant and stinky, and rather strange to be warming himself with the corpses of the beasts he had just killed, but their bulk and fur should serve to keep them warm.

He pulled his robes aside to reveal Luke. He seemed to be peacefully sleeping, for now. His tears were frozen on his face, and his baby blanket was tangled in his legs.

Anakin’s heart pounded painfully. “My poor baby,” he murmured. He untangled the blanket from his legs and wrapped it carefully around him. “I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to live like this.”

He pulled his robes back around them both and sank down. He didn’t do this often, but right now, it was probably necessary. He put himself in a healing trance, with the phrase to get him out, “Daddy.”


	3. Safe at Last...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin and Luke finally find some other people.

“Daddy?”

Anakin dragged his eyes open. The cave was brighter. His feet and his arm still hurt, but they weren’t as bad as before.

“I’m thirsty,” Luke said.

Anakin pushed himself upright. Pain stabbed through his head. He grimaced and fought back nausea. “I know, Luke. We’ll find water soon.”

“When’s soon?” Luke peered up at him, his blue eyes glittering. His hands were curled in his tunic again.

Anakin sighed. “Just soon. Trust me. I’ll take care of you.”

“Okay.” Luke pouted, but put his head down on Anakin’s chest. “Where’s Mommy?”

“I don’t know.” Anakin heaved the wampas off of him and stood up, bracing himself against the icy wall of the cave.

“Where’s Leia?”

“Wherever Mommy is.” Anakin wrapped his arm tighter around Luke. Luke wrapped his legs around his bare waist.

“Are we gonna go get a ride now?” Luke asked.

“Mm-hm.” Anakin braced himself, then picked his way out from in between the dead Wampas. The persistent questions were somewhat annoying, but it was a good sign. It meant Luke was alive and feeling relatively well. At least one of them was feeling good.

He stumbled out of the cave. Bright sunlight reflected off the snow, driving into his eyes. Black spots floated in his vision. He squinted. After a few seconds, his eyes adjusted enough for him to make his way into the snow and around the cave. If he just kept going in the direction he was going yesterday, he had to find somebody sometime, right?

The day wasn’t much better than the night. The snow wasn’t actively falling, and Anakin wasn’t quite in danger of dropping dead of hypothermia on the spot, but his feet had gone from mostly fine to painful to numb in about an hour, he couldn’t even move his left arm, and Luke had gone from asking “Are we there yet?” every five minutes to silent to unconscious. The sun had made its way across the sky, and the constant sparkling snow had made it hard for Anakin to see at all.

Luke had been unconscious for hours. Anakin had poked, prodded, and shaken him, shouted at him, and tried to rouse his Force presence with no luck.

A figure was making its way across the snow towards him. Anakin squinted. “Who is it?”

The figure was dressed in beige robes and had red hair.

“Obi-Wan?” Anakin bolted forward. “Obi-Wan!”

As he ran forward, Obi-Wan disappeared. Anakin stumbled to a stop, despair crashing through him. Tears filled his eyes. “Obi-Wan.”

He stood there, gazing at the too-bright snow, tears streaming down his cheeks. For a moment, he had thought he was safe. Obi-Wan would have made everything all right. He would have been able to be in charge and keep them alive.

Anakin sniffed the tears back and began trudging forward again. He had to keep going. For Luke.

Something loomed on the horizon. It was white, but not as white as the snow. He couldn’t quite make it out, not with the blur and black dots floating in his vision. A…bunch of discs sticking out of the ground?

No. Was that a building? Or was he just seeing things again?

It didn’t matter. It was his only hope.

“Help!” Anakin shouted. “Help! Someone, help!” He stumbled forward.

A dark figure loomed in front of him. He squinted and ducked his head, unable to lift his hand to put it in front of his eyes.

“State your business,” a male voice demanded.

“Help,” Anakin said. “My son, he’s dying. We crashed, my ship exploded. I…I’m a Jedi, I killed two wampas. I…don’t know where I am, I need help. Please.” He crashed to his knees, unable to keep himself upright any longer.

Two hands pressed against his arms and lifted him to his feet. “All right, Master Jedi, we’ll help.”

The man helped him forward. The brightness disappeared, giving way to a warm, dark room. More figures were moving around that Anakin could barely make out.

“What’s your name, Master Jedi?” the man asked.

“Anakin,” Anakin mumbled. “Anakin Skywalker. My son, he’s Luke. Is he all right?”

“We’ll make sure he is.” The man stopped him. “Here, sit down, and I’ll go get a stretcher for you and your son.”

Anakin’s legs buckled beneath him. The man set him down on the cold ground and leaned him against some crates.

“Wait, where…am I? Who are you?” Anakin asked, fighting off the encroaching darkness.

“I’m Tanran. You’re at a smugglers’ outpost on Hoth in the Outer Rim. It’s all right, Anakin Skywalker. We’re here to help. You just rest easy.”

“Rest easy,” Anakin murmured. He put his head down and drifted off into the blackness trying to claim him.

Waking up came slowly. He was aware of his feet and his arm not hurting and being enveloped in warmth long before he managed to pull himself awake. Heaviness weighed upon his body. Lethargy kept him down.

There was no weight on his chest. No son. No Luke.

Heart pounding, Anakin forced himself to fully wake. Where was his son?

He sat up, picking himself off the wall he was leaning against.

Wall. Not bed?

He glanced around. Bars surrounded him on all sides and above, less than a foot above his head. He was in a cage. A cage small enough to prevent him from standing up. Outside the cage, many crates and boxes were strapped down. Barely any light illuminated the room.

He was in the cargo hold, healed but alone and imprisoned in a cage.

Something was constricting his neck. He glanced down but couldn’t see anything except his clothes, which weren’t his Jedi robes. No, he was in a plain light brown shirt and plain brown pants. His feet were completely bare, and thankfully, appeared to be fully healed from the burn. He felt along his neck with his newly-healed left arm.

It was a collar. A smooth metal collar, undoubtedly possessing the ability to shock him, blow him up, or both.

This couldn’t be happening. Not here, not now. Not to him. Not again. The cage, the collar.

They were going to enslave him.

Anakin bent over and gripped his head in his hands, trying to steady his breathing. He had promised himself he would never be enslaved again. He would escape this. He just had to stay calm.

He sat up. Maybe he could somehow use the Force to expand the space between the bars so he could slip out. He gripped the bars.

Pain sizzled from his collar, leaving him screaming on the floor. It faded away, and he lay motionless, panting for breath.

Guess that wasn’t going to work.

Screaming echoed through the hold. Familiar screaming. Luke?

Anakin picked himself up off the floor of the cage but kept himself from grasping the bars. The last thing Luke needed was to hear him screaming in pain. He almost called out for him, but then bit his tongue. He didn’t want to risk them taking his son away again just as it seemed they were bringing him back.

A human man came into view, holding a struggling, screaming Luke in his arms. “There, ya see, kid? There’s your daddy. Now shut up.”

Luke reached out for Anakin. His face was red and tears were streaming down his cheeks. “Daddy!”

“Luke!” Anakin called.

The man seemed to roll his eyes. He strode up to the cage and punched a couple of buttons. The door swung open.

Anakin’s breath caught. He reached his arms out for his son.

The man lowered Luke into the cage. He bolted towards him and crashed into his arms.

Anakin pulled him close and ducked his head next to his. “Luke. Oh, Luke.”

“Daddy, Daddy! Did they hurt you, are you dying?” Luke asked.

“No, no, I’m healed, I’m all healed, I’m all right. How about you?” Anakin rocked back and forth. Now that Luke was in his arms, he never wanted to let him go again.

Luke held up his right hand. “They fixed my booboo, but they’re mean. They stole my blankie and they won’t give it back. They said I’m gonna sell for a lot of money.”

Anakin tensed. It was pretty clear now. These men, whatever else they may be, were slavers. They caught him and Luke and healed them so that they’d sell better on the market. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

The slaver snorted and slammed the cage shut. “Good luck with that, Jedi. You’ll sell for a lot of money with those powers, and we’ve got just the thing to keep you in check. Better behave, or that precious son of yours might not make it to market. I’d hate it if you two had to be sold separately.”

Anakin tightened his arms around Luke. “You won’t take him away from me,” he practically growled.

The slaver just laughed as he strolled away.


	4. Escape Attempt #1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ship lands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was ice where I live and my classes got moved online, and I wasn't feeling well, so this chapter slipped my mind. Here it is a day late. Sorry!

“Daddy? What’s going to happen to us?” Luke was still in Anakin’s arms, playing with the frayed collar of his shirt.

Anakin struggled to take a steady breath. He didn’t want to frighten him, but at the same time, Luke might be even more frightened and scarred if he didn’t know what to expect going forward. What had his mother told him when they were on the ship heading to Tatooine to become Gardulla’s slaves? “We’re going to be taken to a planet and sold at a slave auction.”

“But we’re gonna escape, right?” Luke peered up at Anakin, his blue eyes boring into his with steady hope. “You’re gonna beat the bad guys and we’ll go home?”

“I’ll try.” Anakin drew his arms around Luke. “But it won’t be easy. We might have to keep our heads down for a while so we can escape and get home. You’re gonna have to listen to me without questioning and do whatever I tell you, okay?”

Luke pouted and nodded. “Okay.” He laid his head down on Anakin’s shoulder. “I love you, Daddy,” he whispered.

Anakin held him close, fighting back tears. “I love you too, Luke.”

He would have to be patient and not act out of hand, but sooner or later, there would be an opening, and he’d take the opportunity to escape. He couldn’t let his baby suffer. Luke wouldn’t grow up like he did.

He’d make sure of it.

A banging on the bars woke Anakin up from an uneasy slumber.

“Come on, Jedi,” a man said. “Let’s go.”

Anakin pushed himself up and blinked the sleep out of his eyes. The lights in the cargo hold were open. A human man stood outside the cell, blaster in hand. The cage door was open.

“Come on, get up.”

The face wasn’t familiar, but the voice triggered memories. “Tanran?”

Tanran snorted. “Good to see you remember me, Jedi. Hurry up, or I’ll activate that collar of yours. You might drop your sleeping son.”

Anakin dropped his gaze down to Luke. He was sleeping soundly on his chest, his blond hair was pushed back from his forehead, and his chubby cheeks were flushed. He brushed a finger against his soft skin and sighed. He wrapped one arm firmly around him and crawled out.

He bit back a groan as he got to his feet. Pain shot through his legs from being in the same position for too long.

“I need your wrists,” Tanran said, picking up a pair of stun cuffs from his belt.

Anakin looked back down at Luke and wrapped his arms more firmly around him.

“Oh, that’s right.” Tanran cocked his head. “Can’t let go of the baby.” He stepped forward, blaster trained on him. “Better figure something out, or I’ll be carrying the tiny Jedi for you.”

Anakin shifted his arms so they were both supporting Luke’s bottom and his wrists were close enough together the cuffs could come on. He couldn’t risk losing his son. Not for anything.

Tanran snapped the stun cuffs around his wrists and stepped back, smiling. He gestured to the door out of the hold with his blaster. “Let’s go.”

“You won’t get away with this,” Anakin warned.

Tanran chuckled. “I already have.”

Tanran hauled Anakin carrying Luke through the ship, past many different smugglers and slavers.

A big, rough man stood at the ramp to the outside. An electrowhip was curled on his belt and in his hand was a baby blanket. Luke’s baby blanket. He shoved the blankie at Anakin. “I don’t want to hear any crying during the auction. If there is any, I’m taking it out on you.”

Anakin curled his fist in the soft blue blanket and nodded, a lump growing in his throat. An auction. He didn’t even remember the last time he’d been in an auction. And now he was going to end up exactly like his mother. Standing on an auction platform, small son in arms, hoping they wouldn’t get separated and would end up somewhere safe. He fought back tears as they pricked his eyes.

Not if he had anything to say about it. They would escape. They would.

Tanran and the rough man grabbed his arms and hauled him through hot, dusty streets. A myriad of different species walked or drove through or had stalls set up on the streets outside the brown buildings. It wasn’t a planet Anakin recognized. Not Zygerria, not Nal Hutta or Nar Shaddaa or even Tatooine. That would make it much harder to get back home when he escaped.

Anakin waited until the two men became relaxed and distracted. He reached through the Force for the collar and tried to spring it.

Nothing happened.

He forced his breath to stay steady. He sprang the cuffs, wrapped one arm firmly around his sleeping son, and dug his elbow firmly into the rough man’s stomach. He stomped on Tanran’s foot and broke away from them, bolting through the crowd.

Two tiny hands grabbed his shirt collar. “Where are we?”

“Dunno,” Anakin said. He darted around a Rodian and his Twi’lek family.

Pain seared through him. He fell to the ground with a cry, landing hard on the cobblestones. Luke screamed and pulled tighter on his collar.

Anakin could barely think through the pain. He…he had been running. He needed to get to his feet and go.

A large hand fastened around his neck and lifted him to his knees. The pain from the collar faded away, leaving him limp. The street blurred around him.

Tanran reached in and ripped Luke from him, then bent down and picked up something blue from the street. The blankie.

A hand fastened in his hair and wrenched his head up. “You’re going to regret that. Very much.”

Anakin gasped for breath. He fought back the temptation to Force choke the man he was currently staring up at.

“Daddy!” Luke screamed. “Leave him alone!”

Stun cuffs snapped around his wrists, cuffing his arms in front of him.   
The hands let go of him, and he crashed hard to the ground.

An electrowhip activated. Pain seized through Anakin. He cried out, unable to push himself up as the man brutally beat him. Just as he was hovering on the edge of consciousness, the whipping stopped. The rough man hauled him upright, and he was dragged through the streets, Luke’s screaming cries following them. Hazily, he stared at an empty auction block, a wavering crowd gathering before it. He was hauled through them and dumped at the steps of the stage.

A trembling body was dropped in his lap. The small form darted away and landed a kick on the leg of the man who had beat Anakin.

The man cursed. “Skywalker, control your infant or I’ll sell you without him!”

Anakin’s heart clenched. He forced his voice out of the haze of pain. “Luke! Stop! Come here and stay quiet!”

Luke froze. He ran back to Anakin and climbed into his lap.

“Stay here and don’t move, Jedi. You’ll be on the block in a couple of hours.”

Anakin barely heard the man as he collapsed against the steps.


	5. Sold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin is sold into slavery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I look up the exchange rate from peggats to credits for this fic? Yes. Yes, I did.

Anakin was awoken by a kick to his side. He started awake to find the rough man and a Zygerrian standing above him.

“Get up,” the Zygerrian snarled.

Anakin blinked up at them, the words barely registering in his brain. He wrapped his arms around Luke, who was sitting in his lap.

The Zygerrian grabbed his arm, claws digging into his skin, and hauled him to his feet. He pulled him up the stairs to the auction stage. Anakin stumbled up the steps and across the stage. The Zygerrian stopped him in the center of the stage. He squinted out hazily at the crowd gathered in front of him.

“Daddy, I’m scared,” Luke whispered. His arms wrapped around his neck.

Anakin tried to shake the fog from his brain. The crowd was milling, excited. There were some humans, Zygerrians, Twi’leks, even some Bith, and far in the back…that was a Hutt.

The Hutt woke Anakin up from his haze of pain. He tightened his arms around Luke and tried to pull away from the Zygerrian, but the Zygerrian held firm. “It’s okay, Luke. We’re gonna be okay. Just stick close to me.”

The Zygerrian cuffed his head. Pain shot through his head. “You’ll speak when you’re spoken to.” He turned to the crowd. “You all know the Hero with No Fear from the Clone Wars! General of the Republic, wise Jedi Master, and look!” He grabbed Luke’s head and turned his tear-stained face to the crowd. “He’s a father, too.”

Anakin glared at the Zygerrian. “Get your hands off him,” he growled.

The Zygerrian pushed something in his hand. Electricity sizzled over him. Pain consumed him. He cried out and dropped to his knees. Luke screamed.

“They say he’s one of the strongest Jedi in the galaxy! Imagine being able to control all of that power!” the Zygerrian called.

Anakin shuddered, trying to pull himself together. How was he going to escape this if every time he fought back, they electrocuted him? This time, they had even got Luke with them. Even if he fought back with the Force, there were just too many of them. And with Luke, he was too vulnerable.

He wasn’t going to escape before they sold him. He was going to break his promise to himself that he would never be sold as a slave again, that his family would stay free.

Tears sprang to his eyes. He fought them back. He wrapped his arms tightly around Luke. His body was shuddering, and he was quietly crying. His face was pressed into his neck. Luke’s tears wetted Anakin’s skin.

“How do we know we’ll be able to control him?” someone called.

“With this collar, you can stun, electrocute, or even blow him up if need be,” the Zygerrian said.

Anakin flinched. He had been right. The collar was a bomb.

“Observe.” The Zygerrian held something up in his hand and pressed a button.

Pain consumed Anakin. He screamed, barely keeping himself upright.

The pain died away. He leaned forward, gasping.

“And if that fails,” the Zygerrian leaned down and plucked Luke from his arms. He whimpered and clutched his blankie close to him. “You can always use the little one to get him to do what you want.”

Anakin hung his head, fighting back the darkness encroaching on him. He raised his head slowly. “Give him back.” His voice was rough and warbly in his throat.

The Zygerrian laughed. “See? With the child, you have the obedience of the father. Not only that, train the child up right and you have a Jedi slave that will obey your every command.”

Anakin shook. He climbed to his feet. “Not if I have anything to say about it.” He constricted the Zygerrian’s throat with the Force.

The Zygerrian wrapped his hand around Luke’s neck. The claws dug into his skin. He screamed.

“Cut it out or your son dies with me,” the Zygerrian snarled.

Heart pounding painfully, Anakin released him.

“Kneel!” the Zygerrian demanded.

Anakin glared at him. He would not willingly kneel before this man

A claw trailed down Luke’s cheek, drawing a line of blood. He was sobbing and had started to hyperventilate. “Daddy,” he whimpered.

Anakin squeezed his eyes shut and got down on his knees.

The Zygerrian laughed louder. “There’s no need to be frightened to buy him. With this little one, you can control his every move.”

Pain sizzled through him. He arched his back and screamed. It consumed him, became his very world. Finally, it died away. He glanced up. The Zygerrian held Luke out to him. He reached up and grabbed him, then clutched him close to his chest.

Luke wrapped his arms around his neck, one hand tightly holding his blankie. “Daddy,” he sobbed.

“Luke,” Anakin gasped.

“Let’s start the bidding at 1,000 peggats!” the Zygerrian called.

The prices climbed quickly. Anakin simply knelt, holding his son close. He couldn’t make himself look at the people bidding on him.

“Sold! To the human and the Twi’lek in the back for 25,000 peggats!”

250,000 peggats. Anakin struggled to do the math. That made about…1,000,000 credits. He had sold for 1,000,000 credits.

A dirty male human climbed the stage. He glanced over at a male Twi’lek who followed him.

“What do you want to do with him, doctor?” the human asked the Twi’lek.

The Twi’lek snarled at Anakin. “Stun him.”

The Zygerrian handed a small metal object to the human. “It’s that button.”

Anakin tensed. The human grinned and pressed a button.

Darkness closed over him.


	6. My Life as a Science Experiment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin gets introduced to his new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I lost track of time and it was midterms week, so this chapter is a little late. Sorry! Better late than never, as they always say.

Anakin woke strapped down to a table. He couldn’t see much, but white walls loomed above him. Transparisteel was set in the wall to his left. He pulled against his bonds with his left hand. His right hand wouldn’t respond.

The male Twi’lek that helped buy him strode into Anakin’s field of vision. Blue headtails dangled past his shoulder. “I am Doctor Ahgpuqi. Despite the fact that the Jedi have been around for twenty-five thousand years, not nearly enough is known in the scientific community about Force users. I am here to rectify that.”

Anakin’s chest tightened. He tried to catch his breath but couldn’t. He was bought by a man that wanted to experiment on him. If he didn’t escape, he would lead a miserable, painful life and probably die a painful death.

“You are Anakin Skywalker, are you not?” Doctor Ahgpuqi said.

Anakin frowned. His natural instinct was to refuse to answer, but given the collar around his neck and the presence—or even worse, the absence—of Luke tamped down that instinct. It was better to save the defiance for the things that really mattered. “I am Anakin Skywalker.”

Doctor Ahgpuqi smiled. “Good, then you’ll fit right in here.”

Anakin frowned. What did that mean?

“But let’s start with the basics.” The doctor turned around. “Let’s start with samples.”

Doctor Ahgpuqi started by drawing blood. That was something Anakin could stay relatively calm for. He’d donated blood before, in the Annual Jedi Temple Blood Drive (and because Vokara Che told him they needed a supply of his blood for the next time he inevitably got injured enough to need a blood transfusion, but—details). He could handle this.

The doctor left to store the blood sample and returned with a massive syringe. The needle was several inches long and the barrel was large and thick.

Anakin tried and failed to catch his breath. “What’s that for?”

Doctor Ahgpuqi grinned. “This is for a tissue sample.” He stepped forward and grasped his left arm. “Hold still.”

Anakin gritted his teeth as Doctor Ahgpuqi rolled his sleeve up to his elbow and stabbed the needle into his bicep. Pain rolled through him. He pressed his lips together hard and closed his eyes, struggling to keep from groaning.

The needle withdrew from his arm. “Very good,” the doctor said.

Anakin gritted his teeth and watched Ahgpuqi as he stored the tissue sample and washed his hands multiple times. Then Ahgpuqi withdrew even more frighteningly large needles.

Doctor Ahgpuqi hummed as he unstrapped Anakin’s right arm and leg from the table. “Turn on your side,” he ordered.

Anakin’s right arm was incredibly heavy. When he dragged it over onto his chest, he could see why. A small disc rested on his prosthetic arm, a device typically applied to prosthetic limbs when the patient was put in bacta. The disc disabled prosthetic limbs to prevent short-circuiting or phantom movements, protecting the doctors from accidental injury. Except every time he’d had one before, it had been removed just as he’d woken up, as it should be. Now, it was as if he was some sort of droid with a restraining bolt. It was humiliating.

“Turn on your side.” Ahgpuqi held up the collar controls.

Anakin curled his left hand into a fist. He could comply, but he’d made it a policy never to follow orders from people he didn’t like. But he really didn’t want to be electrocuted again.

Pain seared through his body. He cried out. It died down, and he shakily turned onto his side.

“Normally, people are anesthetized for this, but I would like to take a sample that is not tainted by other chemicals.” Ahgpuqi pulled the band of Anakin’s pants down over the top of his hip and dabbed his skin with antiseptic.

Oh, no. As a padawan, Anakin had viewed a bone marrow biopsy for a medical class he’d been required to take and almost thrown up. Even with the anesthesia, the Jedi had obviously been in a lot of pain. He’d vowed bone marrow donations were a step too far for charitable acts and hoped he never got cancer. Apparently, now he didn’t have a choice in avoiding one of his worst nightmares.

Ahgpuqi walked away, then returned with one of the big needles. Anakin braced himself, digging his fingernails into his palm and biting his lip hard. The needle pierced his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut. Pain stabbed into his hip, clawing deeper and deeper. A light groan escaped him. It was too deep. He caught himself right before he pushed Ahgpuqi away from him with the Force. The needle was still embedded in his hip. He didn’t want to know what that would do to him.

He curled his fist so tight his hand began to shake. The pain overwhelmed him, swallowed up his world. He whimpered as the needle withdrew. He stayed still, gasping and shuddering, until he heard Ahgpuqi wash his hands again. He peeked over his shoulder.

Ahgpuqi was heading towards him with an even larger needle. Anakin cringed away from him. The needle wasn’t in his hip yet. He could fling him across the room.

Ahgpuqi raised the collar controls. “Don’t even think about it.”

Anakin hated that that got him not to fling Ahgpuqi away from him, but he’d been electrocuted far too many times for his taste.

Ahgpuqi placed his hand on Anakin’s side and set the large needle onto his skin. Anakin took a deep breath and closed his eyes again.

Hot, stabbing pain spread through his hip. He couldn’t restrain his cry of pain. He jerked under Ahgpuqi’s hand, but the bonds and the disc on his arm kept him from pushing him away from him. If he was able to use the Force right now, he would have, but he was in too much pain to focus.

The pain gouged deeper into his hip. He screamed.

Ahgpuqi pulled the needle out. It had a small piece of bone in it.

Anakin retched. He vomited onto the table.

Ahgpuqi slapped a bacta patch onto Anakin’s hip and pulled his pants waist up. He stepped to the door and snapped his fingers. “Come take him to his cell.”

Two people stepped in and unstrapped Anakin from the table. As they pulled him upright, darkness closed in around him.


	7. Family Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin recovers

Water dripped on Anakin’s face. “Daddy, wake up.”

Anakin groaned, slogging through the haze of weakness and pain he woke up to. Luke was hovering over him, his blue eyes wide. He pattered away and returned, his hands cupped and dripping. He dumped water on Anakin’s face.

Anakin sputtered, blinking water out of his eyes. “I’m awake, Luke.”

“Okay.” Luke got to his knees beside him. “Are you hurt?”

“A little. I’ll be all right.” Anakin reached out his heavy hand. It shook a little, but he managed to clasp the back of Luke’s head. He moved his thumb over his smooth blond locks. “It’s gonna be all right, Luke.”

Luke ducked forward and snuggled close to his side. “Okay.” He wrapped his arm around Anakin’s stomach. “I miss home.”

Anakin pressed his hand to Luke’s warm back. “Me too.”

“How come we left?” Luke asked.

“For vacation on Naboo, and to go see Grandma and Grandpa, remember?”

“Oh, yeah.” Luke wriggled. “How come the ship blew up?”

“I don’t know.” Pain stabbed into Anakin’s hip. He stifled a groan. He had to say something to keep Luke from becoming afraid of ships spontaneously blowing up. His kids needed to love flying as much as he did. “I think someone put bombs on it.”

“Why would someone do that? That’s mean,” Luke said.

“The person must have been mean,” Anakin said. It warmed his heart a bit that Luke couldn’t comprehend why someone would want to hurt them.

“Maybe it was an accident,” Luke said. “They were trying to ship it to Uncle Fives and Uncle Echo and put it on our ship by mistake. Then we crashed and got lost and mean people found us.”

“Mm-hm,” Anakin didn’t want to disabuse Luke of that notion. There was plenty of time for him to realize how evil people really were.

“I bet they’d be real sorry if they knew where we are now,” Luke said.

Anakin’s hip throbbed. He squeezed his eyes shut. He let out a small groan.

“Are you hurting?” Luke asked.

Anakin nodded. “A little bit.”

“Do you want me to kiss it better?” Luke sat up and gazed at him.

Anakin smiled. “You can’t kiss where the hurt is, but you can kiss my cheek.” Luke was almost making up for what had happened earlier.

Luke scooted up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Is it all better?”

Anakin shrugged. “It’s some better.”

Luke sat back and pouted. His eyes began to fill with tears. “But it always works when Mommy does it.”

Anakin bit back a sigh and forced himself to sit up. Pain stabbed through his hip. He bit back a cry and pulled Luke towards him.

Luke wrapped his arms around him and buried his face in his shirt. He began to cry. Anakin rubbed his back and took the opportunity to examine his surroundings.

He was in a small white cell. It had ‘fresher accommodations with a toilet and a sink. That must have been where Luke got the water. Transparisteel blocked him in. Maybe he could break it with his prosthetic hand. Across from his cell was another cell with a sleeping human woman in it. He should speak to her and get more information about this place.

But first…

Anakin picked Luke up and pressed his head against his shoulder. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”

Luke pressed his fist to his cheek. “I miss Mommy. I wanna go home,” he wailed.

Anakin squeezed his eyes shut, restraining his own tears. “I know. We will.” He pressed a kiss to the top of Luke’s head. “I promise.”

A while later, when Luke had fallen asleep, Anakin set his sights on the transparisteel blocking the way out. With enough force, surely he could break it. He balled his prosthetic hand into a fist and punched the transparisteel. Nothing appeared to happen, but maybe it just took time and a lot of strikes. Anakin was nothing if not persistent.

It must have been hours later. Anakin could barely lift his arm. But cracks were spreading throughout the transparisteel.

The woman in the other cell finally sat up. She blinked at him and frowned. “What in the blazes are you doing?”

“Getting out of here.” Anakin shook hard. He had to brace himself against the transparisteel. His head pounded and his hip stabbed with pain. He lifted his arm, pain slowing his move. He slammed his fist into the transparisteel. The cracks grew about half a centimeter.

“You mean you’re getting yourself killed,” the woman corrected.

Anakin ignored the comment. If there was even a chance this might work, he had to take it. “Do you know what planet this is?”

“You don’t know what planet you’re on?” the woman asked.

Anakin tried to squash down the anger that flared in him. “Would I have asked if I knew?”

The woman seemed a bit shame-faced. “Sorry. You’re on Agehwoh. It’s on the edge of the Outer Rim and Wild Space.” She was quiet as he punched the transparisteel again. “I’m Sira Skywalker. And you?”

Anakin froze. He let his screaming arm drop to his side. He must not have heard right. “What did you say?”

Sira frowned. “I said my name is Sira Skywalker.” She stood up and stepped to the transparisteel keeping her in her cell. “Why? What’s your name?”

Anakin’s heart thumped wildly. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be. “My name is Anakin Skywalker.”

“It can’t be,” Sira said, unconsciously echoing Anakin’s thoughts. “It just can’t be.” She placed a hand on the transparisteel. “Anakin,” she repeated. “You’re Shmi’s child, aren’t you?”

She knew his mother’s name. Anakin wanted to demand how she knew his mother’s name, but all he could get out was, “Yes. Shmi’s my mother.” Through his spinning head, he managed, “How did you know her?”

“Shmi’s my sister.”


End file.
